The Undiscovered Hero
by Meleigh262
Summary: Everyone seems to assume that Jack is alright with his duties and responsibilities as a farmer. But what if Mineral Town's hero decides he doesn't want to save after all?
1. Chapter 1

**If you've seen this fanfic before, don't panic! I just posted this one under my new account and deleted my old one. **

Chapter One- Indecision

Jack's mind was made up. His soft, brown eyes were determined as he stared at the opposite wall. Hands clasped in his lap, he continued to say one thing to himself, _I'm leaving Mineral Town_. A ball of fur was snuggled beside him, its small head resting on its master's leg. Both beings had not moved for several hours. The rain outside streamed like small snakes down each window pane, causing Jack's train of thought to go to the never-ending patterns made from the water drops.

Shaking his head, he looked again at the bare wooden wall in front of him. The past few months had been painful for adventure-loving Jack. Time seemed to mock his boredom by going slowly as he did his daily chores, like milking the cows, and fast while he talked with friends at the bar. He didn't want to leave the town. Well, he did, but to let down the people would be... _No, Jack. Think of yourself for once._ He closed his eyes tightly, his mind once again moving in fast forward. He suddenly brought his hands to his temples, waking his young companion. "Sorry, boy," he apologized. He ran his fingers down the dog's small body, the golden hair shining from the lamp on the table. The dog made an attempt to wag his tail, but his eyes closed sleepily again and with a soft, relaxed whimper, laid back down on the leg of Jack.

Seeing him go to sleep, Jack suddenly realized how late it was. The large clock to the left of him had its hour hand on the four. "Oh, man." He sighed, knowing that he would have to start his farm work in less than two hours. This was how Jack usually spent his nights, wondering if there was anything out there for him to do besides farm. He wanted a life where he didn't know what happened next, a life where every turn meant trusting his instincts instead of his wits.

He thought his mind was made up, but whenever he grew sure of himself, the faces of the townspeople always came to mind. Especially one face: Popuri's. Her kiddish ways made him smile, and she always knew what to say to make him forget about his troubles and worries. The first day he had come to this town, she had welcomed him warmly. Her eyes had told him that she believed he would bring the town back to life. It was Jack who would help everyone. _But, I don't want to be a hero_, he thought bitterly, _I want to have my own life. A real life._

With a groan, he got up, ignoring his dog's reproachful bark. He collapsed on his bed, tiredness finally hitting him. Rolling over to his right, he could watch the quiet rain fall. Nature's soft music played its chords, each drop falling, a different note. The sounds seemed farther and farther away as Jack closed his eyes, and finally, all was quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two- Nightmares and Memories

_"Jack! Jack! Come back here!"_

_A young woman with long, flowing brown hair was running to him, her eyes rimmed with red. Her trembling hands grabbed his shoulders and she shook him fiercely. "You don't know what you're doing," she breathed. "You aren't thinking."_

_Her words had no affect on his decision as he stood there. He could feel his eyes narrow and he heard his voice speak firmly. "Samantha, I've made up my mind. I'm tired of living here! I'm sick of seeing nothing but buildings and skyscrapers on all sides of me. I want fresh air."_

_"Are you... tired of me, too?" she asked softly, her large, green eyes longing for an answer._

_Jack's anger melted, and he smiled warmly. "Of course not, love. You can move to the small town with me, if you like. I've already told you again and again."_

_She looked defiant. "Jack, I've already told you my thoughts." She spoke slowly, trying to get through to him. "I don't want to move to some crummy town where there's nothing to do. If you leave the city, you leave me as well."_

_Jack felt like falling where he stood. "Samantha..." he whispered._

_She crossed her arms. "Choose." She stood determinedly in the middle of her small apartment. Her eyes bore through his as she waited for a response._

_After a few seconds of silence, Jack sighed. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I want to do this for myself, and if you're not willing to come with me, then you leave me no choice." He slowly began walking towards the door. Noticing that he was seriously leaving, she called to him, her voice desperate. He continued walking, and her voice became shrill, and she was now screaming. Her words cut through his head like a knife. "You don't care about anyone but yourself! Go have a wonderful time in your Hell hole of a town!"_

_The words echoed in his mind. He had to get away from that pained, angry voice. He ran down the street, his mind numb and his eyes blind._

Jack jumped up with his heart racing. Sweat was all over his forehead, and his body heaved with each breath. He looked around himself. He was in his small bed. He was ok. The stillness of the morning calmed him quickly, its sweet voice telling him that it was just a dream.

"Yeah, but the dream was something that's happened before," he said aloud. Who exactly was he talking to? Jack rubbed his eyes and placed his feet onto the cold floor. His feet padded on the wood as he went into the kitchen for some well-needed coffee.

He heard yipping at his heels, and he looked down to see his dog jumping excitedly.

"What's the matter, boy?" He knelt down to see what the little animal wanted. After a few seconds of watching the little puppy dance, Jack decided that it needed to be let outside.

The warm sun greeted Jack as he opened the door. Squinting, Jack could see from the sun's position in the sky that he had slept in. Shoot. He walked outside and with a deep breath, the clean, spring air filled his lungs. That was one thing that he loved about being here. He had known before moving that it would be his favorite thing about the country. The fresh air.

He tried to keep his mind off of his nightmare and slowly walked to his large barn. Another day, another set of chores.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Fight

"Hold still, Cotton!" Jack held on tightly to the struggling animal as he lifted the heavy shears with his right hand. With a bleating cry, the sheep escaped Jack's grasp. It rounded the barn several times loudly, every pass it made, it tried to bite Jack. "I didn't want to do this..." The farmer had enough of the animal's protests, and while it came around the far corner, Jack knelt down. As it came his way, Jack was able to grab its front hoof and flip it over. Stunned, the animal thrashed its legs with wide eyes, unable to get back up. With the shears, Jack snipped away the wool, and after finishing, he helped the animal to its feet. Jack was out of breath at this point, and he left the barn quickly before Cotton could get revenge.

The sun was now positioned at the top of the sky, and the warmest part of the day was starting. The many crops that Jack grew were ready to harvest, so he got to work. After selling all of his turnips and most of his potatoes, a very sweaty farmer retired inside the house for a nice, long bath.

The warm steam circled him and relaxed him. He closed his eyes groggily as he laid in the large bath. His thoughts went to his time in the city and the voice in his head spoke. _You couldn't do this while you lived in the city. Everyday, there would only be enough time for showers. Everyday, you worked for that jerk of a boss and-_

Jack heard a soft knock on the door. "Perfect timing," he muttered, agitated. Grabbing a towel from the cabinet, Jack wrapped it around him and walked to the door. He opened the door and he could see slick, black hair and a pair of beady eyes. "I don't want any," Jack snapped and was about to close the door when the man spoke.

"Please sir, we have some apples that you-"

Jack locked the door after he closed it without a word. There's one thing you can never avoid, no matter where you live. Annoying sellers.

With a sigh, Jack went back into the bathroom and drained out the water. A relaxing bath, ruined. His stomach growled, and he went into the kitchen to see what to eat. The fridge was bare; Jack hadn't put any crops in there like he planned. _Guess I'll just go to the store_, he thought. _Exciting!_ He rolled his eyes and laughed scornfully at his pitiful, boring life. After getting dressed, he left his house, hoping he'd be able to talk to a few exciting people.

He reached the super market, and it didn't come as a surprise that he could already hear Karen even when the door was closed. Smiling slightly, Jack opened the door and walked in. A fight had broken out between two of the town's young adults, not to mention one of the town's couples. "Rick!" Karen screeched. Her long, dark blonde hair was everywhere, and her green eyes shined with anger. A bag of flour whizzed by Jack's head, and broke on the wall, sending white dust everywhere. A boy of 18 years with medium length blonde hair looked at the spot where the bag had landed and gulped. His glasses were askew and his eyes were wide as he ran from Karen. He sprinted to one side of the seed display, and Karen was on the other side. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at him. "Karen, please!" Rick pleaded.

"Rick, you have been late to one of our dates for the LAST TIME!" she boomed.

Oh, is that was this whole thing is about? Jack thought, amused. He kept back a laugh, not wanting to make Karen even more upset.

Rick was about to speak when a bar of chocolate collided with his forehead. "Ow!" He smacked his forehead where he was hit and checked for blood.

At this point, Jack was doubled over with laughter. He held onto his sides as he saw Rick's eyes start to water.

Sasha finally came out of the back room, and she took Karen to the side. Seeing Sasha's bored reaction, Jack could see that this happened very recently.

After a few minutes and a few "Moooom!"s, Karen turned around and walked up to Rick reluctantly. "I'm sorry I hit you with a chocolate bar." She glared at her mom, and Sasha looked back at her, demanding more apology. "Fine... and I'm sorry I tried to suffocate you with curry powder."

Rick stared. "You didn't do that."

"Oh, I guess I was thinking about doing that next."

More staring.

Jack cracked up, and Karen turned to him. "What the hell do you want?"

Sasha gasped. "Karen! He's a _customer_!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- A Reason to Stay

Jack stood there, not knowing what to say. This spunky girl had quite a mouth. She crossed her arms and with a "hmph!" went into the backroom.

Rick looked at Jack, embarrassed. "Sorry you had to see that, Jack," he muttered.

"Eh, I needed a laugh, anyway."

Rick nodded, and his face broke into a friendly smile. "So, what brings you here?"

"Huh?" Jack looked up. "Oh, I was going to buy some food. I didn't really plan well with the crops and all..."

Sasha heard this and she seemed to appear right in front of his eyes. "You would like to buy something?"

Jack backed up a few feet, and nodded. "Yes, I would like bread or something, please."

Her eyes grew wide and she pushed him towards the large shelf filled with goods. "Can't live without chocolate. Oh, and bread is very important. Here's curry powder for all of your homemade stews. Oh, and flour-!"

"Sasha!" Jack's knees bent as he held the many items that Sasha had handed him. "I'm just here for dinner, not to feed an army."

She looked disappointed. "Oh, well, sorry for bothering you." She walked to the register and waited sulkily for Jack to pick out something small to buy. He finally decided on a loaf of bread and a bar of chocolate. He handed her the items and paid for them. "Have a nice day," she said rather rudely, and handed him back the food.

After turning around, Jack rolled his eyes. _People_. He walked out of the store. He could see the setting sun from behind a few trees to his left. The tops of the trees were outlined with deep crimson. It was time for Jack to get back to his farm. Reaching his house, Jack turned around before walking inside. His eyes scanned the farm. Healthy crops grew beautifully, and the grass that he had planted last year was vibrant and green. This was a farm that any farmer would be proud of. Why wasn't he?

Sighing, Jack walked inside, and his mind went back to the same thing it did everynight. _Do I belong here?_

He dropped the groceries on the counter and fell face-down on his couch. His appetite vanished as his mind began to fill with thoughts. He wasn't happy in the city, and he wasn't happy now. What did he want? He didn't know anymore...

Nights were always the same. He would ask himself these questions, and he would finally decide that the right thing to do was leave Mineral Town. But, everytime... Jack covered his face with his hands. _Right. Everytime, you wake up afterwards and you don't do anything. You stay here._

Another voice came into his mind. _Hey, the people are counting on him. Give him a break._

Jack stopped before he started fighting with himself. He heard scratching at his door, and he remembered that his dog was outside. He opened the door and let him inside. He looked up before closing it and stared at the dark land. The wind whistled as it danced around the blades of grass, causing waves in the sea of green. The moon made the small pond beside his house sparkle as if it contained diamonds instead of water.

Yes, the country was always so brilliant. The colors seemed brighter here, and Jack could hear things that he could never here before. Crickets chatted at the same time every night, and locusts played their music every hot summer.

_Maybe that's why I stay here,_ he thought calmly. I_ don't stay because I'm depended on. I stay because I love nights like these_. Shaking his head, he retreated back into his home and looked down at his only friend. "I just don't know what to do, Sam." The small dog seemed to smile and licked Jack's leg. Jack scratched his back with two fingers. He had named his dog Sam as soon as Thomas had given him the puppy. There was one person whom he missed greatly.

Jack sighed heavily. _Oh, Samantha..._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five- A Certain Girl

_Her smile caused his heart to beat wildly. He couldn't help but laugh as she ran around him, her hair flowing behind her. She stopped in front of him and placed her hands around his neck. Her small fingers were entwined as she held him closely. Her sweet perfume was sweet and strong and as he stood with her, he couldn't keep back a grin._

_She looked up into his eyes, but he noticed something peculiar. They were not the eyes he expected._

_They were large, sparkling._

_And red._

Jack opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He didn't move. He stared at the bare, off-white ceiling for what seemed like an eternity. His mind was pleading and begging to say what it wanted to say.

Jack sighed. _Fine. Say it._

_Popuri! Why did you have a dream about her!? Just last night, you were lovesick over Samantha. What is this? Wheel of Fortune? Just spin the wheel and we'll see who we like today! Oh, sorry, bankrupt-_

"Shut up!" Jack yelled aloud. Sam looked up at him questionably. Jack held his head with his hand and sat up. He got out of bed and walked slowly to the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his tired eyes looking back at him. His brown hair was messy from sleeping, so he brushed through it. He placed the brush down and couldn't help thinking. _You're starting to really bug me_, the voice said. _This indecisive stuff is getting old_.

Before he could attempt to think clearly, a soft knock sounded on the door.

He had opened it a crack when he saw a head of pink hair. "Oh, no..." Just what he needed after that surprising dream.

He opened it all the way and saw Popuri standing on the wooden porch. "Oh, if you don't want company right now..." she said awkwardly. Jack's stomach turned to ice. She had heard what he said. She was about to walk away when Jack stopped her with his hand.

"No, it's alright!" he said quickly. "I was about to do some chores, but if you want, we can talk while I'm doing them."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds good, Jack!" Her red eyes shone brightly with her dazzling smile. Just like in my dream... With a small shake of the head, he walked with her to the barn. While walking, she said, "You know, I love chickens, but I've always wanted a cow. Or perhaps a sheep."

"You don't want this sheep," he replied, opening the barn door.

She giggled. "And, why not?"

"Because this sheep has a mind of its own." Cotton approached Jack slowly. She still had yesterday's event in mind. Jack tried to pet her, but with a bite, he could see that she did not want to be touched.

"Let me try," Popuri said. Kneeling down, she extended a hand. Cotton sniffed the hand, and seeing that she wasn't going to hurt her, placed its head under her hand for her to scratch.

"You know, animals know trustworthy people when they see them," Jack said, smiling.

Popuri smiled back at Jack, gave Cotton one last pet, and raised herself. "Jack, you don't know how wonderful it is to have a successful farm in the town. It keeps everyone in such good spirits. You have no idea how happy Mother was when you came." Her cheeks became rosy as she grinned. Jack stood there without speaking. He couldn't speak. "...Jack?" she asked.

"What? Oh, yeah." He looked away so she couldn't see his insecurity. But, she caught it.

"What's wrong?"

"There's only one person who isn't in good spirits."

"Who?"

"Me."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Her red eyes stared in his. Uncertainty was etched in her face as she continued to look at him with curious interest. Jack stared back at her, but as he did so, he nervously moved from side to side. "W-what?" He had tried to ask this question casually with confidence. It didn't work.

"You're not... happy here?" She wiped her small hands on her dress, took one last look at Cotton, and started walking toward the barn door. "I have to go," she said in a quiet voice as she brushed past him.

He could smell her sweet scent as she moved by him, and he turned to stop her from leaving. "Popuri, please." He grabbed her with his gloved hand, and he could feel her thin arm under the cloth. "Let me explain myself."

"No, Jack." She stopped and he let go of her, muttering an apology as he did so. "You don't have to explain. You don't like it here... how could I overlook it before? You were always so quiet whenever you would work, and it was obvious that you didn't enjoy it."

The last sentence buzzed in his head. "Whenever I would work? You would see me working?"

At this question, Popuri's eyes widened and crimson rushed to her cheeks. While blushing, her eyes became as beautiful as two rubies, their warmness and twinkle captivating Jack. "Yes, I've... er, seen you work before while I was, uh... doing errands for mom."

After a few seconds of Jack staring...

"... Jack?"

"What? Oh! Sorry." Now it was Jack's turn to blush.

She smiled shyly. But, after a few seconds, it vanished. "You don't want to be here anymore, do you?"

He had to be honest with her. She was the only one in this town who would listen, let alone understand. "Everynight, Popuri.." he whispered. He hadn't meant to whisper, it just came out that way. "Everynight, I try to see what I really want. And the truth is..." He walked to the wall to his left and leaned against it with his eyes looking up. "The truth is, I don't know what I want. At all." He chuckled to himself. "I don't even know my damn feelings toward-" He stopped and looked at her, suddenly scared.

Popuri looked at him, confused. _Was he about to let me know something personal?_

Jack's mind raced as he quickly looked at his feet. _You were about to say you weren't sure if you had feelings for her! Come on, Jack. Get yourself together_.

"I think you should go..." he said suddenly, "I have a lot of work to do and all, and..." He trailed off, not making eye contact.

"Oh.. ok," she replied. Disappointment filled her voice, and Jack felt terrible hearing it. "If you ever want to talk about.. your situation at the farm, I'm here, ok?"

"Ok, thanks." He finally looked in her eyes, and he saw the same never-ending kindness in them that he had seen on the first day as a farmer.

"Bye," she said, and Jack opened the barn door for her. Holding it open as she walked through, he couldn't help but stare at her beauty. As she left the farm, her pink curls swirled with the cool wind. He didn't continue his chores until he saw her turn the corner.

With a sigh, he got back to his chores, his confused mind beating him up while working.


End file.
